


Red String of Fate/Invisible String

by NerdChild644461217



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdChild644461217/pseuds/NerdChild644461217
Summary: And it’s cool, baby with me. And isn’t it just so pretty to think. All along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?Iroh finished speaking, and they turned to face each other. They bowed at each other simultaneously, and just like that, they were husband and wife. He grabbed her hand as they turned to walk down the same aisle that had taken her to him. He lifted their hands up as they passed the rows of their friends and family, brushing a kiss against her knuckles, and leaning down close to her ear.“It was never dumb.”At her confused glance, he continued. “It was never dumb, what you told me that first year In Ba Sing Se. And it’s cool, with me at least. It is pretty to think that there was some invisible string tying you to me.”
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Red String of Fate/Invisible String

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Kataang Week Day 7, Red String of Fate! I was honestly going to skip this one, but then Taylor Swift came out with 'folklore' and wrecked my world. The end result was this little songfic. I tweaked the prompt a little bit to make it work with the song, but I think it works okay. Full disclaimer, I do not own, nor did I have any part in writing 'folklore' or 'Invisible String', that all goes to Taylor Swift and her associates. I also have not read the comics or seen Legend of Korra, so I apologize if anything from this doesn't match up from those two!

_Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at centennial park, I used to think I would meet somebody there._

Katara had always been familiar with the concept of green, but had never truly experienced it. She had once dreamt of a tall stranger, taking her away from the cold barren darkness that was her home, and introducing her to this greenness that some of the elders talked about, Gran-Gran included. That had been when she was younger, and as she grew older, she came to realize the beauty of where she lived, thinking that she wouldn’t need green when she had all the shades of blue and white around her, sparkling like tiny fires when the light hit it just right. That is, until Appa had come onto the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom on their way to the Northern Water Tribe, and Katara was convinced she would never be able to live without green again. She pushed away the same feelings that kept arising for the small Air Nomad boy steering them.

_Teal was the color of your shirt when you were 16 at the yogurt shop. You used to work there to make a little money._

Now though, the same boy who had showed her all the different shades of green in the world was the same one Katara was laughing at for wearing such a color. She couldn’t help it, the dark greens of the Earth Kingdom clothing were not very flattering on him, as she was used to seeing him in the bright hues of the Air Nomads. He rolled his eyes at her but gave her a smirk anyway.

“This is what I get for saving the world?” He questioned. “Being laughed at?”

“You look like a turtleduck.” Mai commented, increasing Katara’s laughter.

She was right, the dark green of the long robe juxtaposed against his fair skin bore a striking resemblance to the Fire Nation palace’s favorite wildlife. Aang however, refused to admit that in front of his very new girlfriend, who was already laughing at him. He threw his hands up in mock exasperation, right as Iroh walked in.

“Are you two annoying my new waiter?” He questioned the giggling Katara and smirking Mai.

“Of course not, Uncle.” Zuko defended, coming up behind Mai and placing his hands on her shoulders. “They were simply pointing out his resemblance to a certain animal in those robes.”  
  


Iroh examined Aang for moment. “A turtleduck?” He questioned the trio, causing the three of them to dissolve into laughter.

Aang hid his face in his hands. “I just wanted to work here to lay low for a little bit, but no! I get laughed at.” He huffed, a little more than half-heartedly.

Iroh, who had been laughing too, came up and placed a gentle hand on Aang’s shoulder. “Don’t give up yet, I may have something that suits you a little better.” He disappeared towards the back of the tea shop, and Aang took the reprieve to flop down dramatically by Katara, who eyed him.

“You don’t really think that working here will mean people won’t recognize you? You’re kind of the only person in the world with these tattoos.” She reached up and tapped the tip of the arrow on his head, blushing a little as she pulled her hand away.

“No, but I want to see what it’s like. We decided to rest in Ba Sing Se for a while to show good faith, didn’t we?”

Katara made a face. “I don’t see how ‘resting in Ba Sing Se’ got turned into ‘getting a job in Ba Sing Se’.” She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, settling her body just a little closer to him than it had been before her movement when she pulled away.

Aang gave her a cheeky smile. “Well Iroh’s letting us stay here so we don’t have to deal with the old remnants of the Dai Li while King Kuei is still making his way back. It’s my way of repaying him?” He offered.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled back at him anyway. “Right, and saving the world from his tyrannical grandfather, father, _and_ brother wasn’t enough?”

He just smiled playfully and shrugged, gathering up the courage to reach for her hand in the process. A blush spread across her cheeks, but she let him. They were still figuring out their new dynamic, only a few weeks after their kiss on the balcony. Everything was new and scary, but Katara had decided she liked it nonetheless.

Iroh reappeared, holding a lighter colored robe. “Try this one. It’s more in your color wheel.” He winked conspiringly at Aang when he took it from his hands, thanking him and disappearing where Iroh had just come from. Katara turned her attention to Mai still beside her, and Zuko, who had sat down at their small table. They were discussing when they should head back to the Fire Nation, and if they should bring some of Iroh’s tea leaves with them. Katara smiled sadly. She, Sokka, Toph, and Aang all got the luxury of being able to rest after their year-long adventure. Suki, who had already gone back to Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors, and Zuko did not. He now had a nation to lead out of war, and Mai had declared she would be beside him the whole time. Aang and Iroh both had offered to go as well, but Zuko insisted he needed to figure out how to do it alone. However, Katara knew that he had two of his swiftest messenger hawks reserved specifically for times when he needed Aang or Iroh.

Aang came out a moment later, wearing a different shade of green, almost bordering on blue, but still retaining the faintly green hue of the Earth Kingdom. “Alright, lay it on me.” He held his arms out and did a little twirl, fully expecting the mocking to continue.

“I think it looks good.” Iroh commented. “It makes your arrows pop.” Zuko’s head fell forward in embarrassment at Iroh’s comment. “What?! It does!” Iroh defended himself from Zuko’s embarrassment and Mai’s slight laughter.

Aang came around the table, settling himself by Katara again. “What do you think?” He puffed out his chest a little, letting her take in the robe.

She laughed, but only at his posing. “It does make your arrows ‘pop’.” She said. She looked him over, seriously this time. “It makes your eyes pop as well.” She said, blushing slightly. She didn’t miss Aang’s blush either as he turned his face away from her, the mug to his left suddenly becoming very interesting.

“It’s called ‘teal’.” Iroh threw in from across the small table. “And I must say, it really is your color.”

_Time, curious time, gave me no compasses, gave me no signs. Where there clues I didn’t see?_

Katara huffed, her hair wasn’t cooperating, they were supposed to be at Iroh’s already, and she didn’t know where Aang was. They had all agreed to meet back at the Jasmine Dragon one year after the end of the Hundred Year War. Of course that didn’t work, because none of them had stopped to think that the nations would have their own celebrations for that day. Zuko and Mai couldn’t get away from the Fire Nation Palace, Suki, and by extension, Sokka, and Ty Lee had their own celebrations on Kyoshi Island, Iroh himself had been invited to King Kuei’s palace for their celebration, which Toph crashed. When it became clear meeting in Ba Sing Se wouldn’t happen, Aang and Katara decided to join in on the Fire Nation celebrations, intending it be a show of good faith between the Fire Nation and the Avatar. It had, and things seemed to be going well. However, it meant their reunion had been pushed back a few days, and Katara was anxious to see her friends and brother again. And they were running late.

“Aang!” She called, not getting up from the small mirror in her bedroom. The small house they were staying at during their weekend at Ba Sing Se was comfortable, but it was not Iroh’s apartment. However, since he was hosting his nephew and his new wife, the rest of them decided to simply find other lodgings. Which meant that getting to Iroh’s tea shop would take longer than expected.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Aang questioned as he came in, crossing the room to where she was.

She sighed. “I’m having problems.” She motioned to her hair, still wet from her washing it.

Aang looked at her in the mirror. “I think it looks fine.”

Her head fell into her hands. “Aang, please!”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and started rubbing them gently. “Okay, okay.” He gathered her hair and started braiding it. She had taught him how after she’d gotten tired of him undoing her own braids and not putting them back. ‘If you’re going to play with my hair, at least make it look nice when you’re done.’ She’d teased him.

Aang smiled faintly at the memory, which caught her attention. “What?”  
  


He looked up, catching her eyes in the mirror. “Nothing, just remembering you teaching me how to do this.” She blushed slightly, looking away.

His own eyes cut back down to his work, a little under halfway done. “Not that I don’t love any opportunity to touch your hair, but why couldn’t you do this?”

She shrugged slightly. “My hands were shaking too bad.”

Aang tried to catch her eyes in the mirror again, but she wouldn’t look at him. He sighed. “I don’t understand why you’re so nervous.”

“It’s all of us in one place, that’s a huge target.” She defended.

“Yes, but it’s also the Avatar, the greatest Water Bender AND Earth Bender in the world, two master Fire Benders, a woman who has trained since she was a child to be an elite and deadly warrior, a woman who can block chi and get away before you’ve even seen her, the deadliest knife thrower in the four nations, as well as the youngest sword master to ever join the Order of the White Lotus.” He finished his braid and leant down to kiss the crown of her head. “You’re just letting what we’re celebrating make you nervous.”  
  


She knew he was right, and she let out a deep breath. His hands went back to her shoulders, rubbing soft circles into her skin through the fabric of her dress. She looked at him in the mirror, but he was concentrated on what he was doing to her shoulders, massaging the tension away. She took the moment to just look at him.

Katara wasn’t sure when exactly she’d fallen in love with him, but she had the sense to admit it was before he’d disappeared before Sozin’s comet, she just hadn’t realized it until he had come back, battered, bruised, burned, but still breathing, and she felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted from her shoulders. There was no warnings, no signs, no clues she could see, she just saw him step wearily off the war ship, and it hit her like a ton of bricks that she loved him. As he finally caught her eyes in the mirror and gave her a bright smile, she knew she always would.

_And isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?_

“Think about it!” Sokka insisted. “She only found him because she was mad at me! If I wasn’t around, Aang would still be in the iceberg, and we’d all be bowing to Phoenix King Ozai!”

“Fine, Sokka!” Aang laughed. “You can share the credit in taking down Ozai, but Azula belongs to Zuko and Katara.” He wrapped his arms around her as he said her name, and she gave him a smile.

“Well, actually-“ Sokka started.

“No!” Zuko cut in. “You didn’t get hit by lighting! I’m not sharing this.” He laughed at Sokka’s pout, and reached over to tousle his hair. “We’ll let you take her next time.”

Sokka’s bravado disappeared in an instant, his normally dark complexion turning white. “What’s that, Suki?” He called over to where she was standing by the door with Ty Lee and Mai. “You want more tea? Okay!” He got up and left, knowing full well that his companions were aware Suki hadn’t said anything.

Zuko and Aang laughed at his fumbling, and Katara smiled at his retreating back. Zuko said something about going to do damage control and followed him. Aang leaned over and pressed his lips to Katara’s temple. “I told you nobody would care that we were late, and that everything would be fine.”

She nudged him slightly with her elbow, a strange smile on her face, like she wasn’t really here, listening to him.

“Are you okay?” He questioned.

“Hm? Oh! Yes, I was just thinking about what Sokka said.”

Aang gave her a look. “About sharing credit for taking down Azula and Ozai?”

She laughed slightly. “No, just that if it had been anybody else, you wouldn’t be here today… we wouldn’t be here today.” She motioned at their friends turned family milling around the room.

He leaned down, kissing her cheek. “It was fate.” He said when he pulled away.

Katara smiled up at him. “It’s pretty to think about.”  
  
It was his turn to be confused. “What?”

Katara shrugged slightly. “It’s kind of dumb, but it’s pretty to think that there was some invisible string of fate tying you to me.”

_Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA. You ate at my favorite spot for dinner._

It had been a few weeks since meeting their friends at the Jasmine Dragon, and Katara looked nervously out at the Fire Nation city below Appa.

“I didn’t know there was another major city in the Fire Nation.” She commented to Aang, beside her.

He shrugged slightly. “It’s nowhere near as big as the Capital City, but since that’s on the main island, Kaen is the hub for all the smaller islands.”

“I can’t believe we’re still dealing with all this bad blood from the Fire Nation. You’d think they’d be tired of sending all their young people off to die in a war.” Katara said as she settled back next to him on Appa’s head.

Aang pulled his mouth to one side. “Soldiers had been their main export. Your family would be set for life on payments from the Fire Nation government if you enlisted, and they got so dependent on it out here, they’re not too keen about going back to an economy where they actually have to put any effort in.”

Katara looked at him worriedly. It wasn’t often that Aang had that much venom in his voice, but she guessed he just didn’t want to relive a single faction attempting to rise up again. She tried to take his mind off it.

“So, what did they use to do?” She asked.

He relaxed a bit, and Katara was glad her little scheme had worked. “They’re islands, so it was mostly fish, although on a few of them you had some pretty good farm lands near in the middle of the islands. These islands are all either dormant or volcanoes, so the soil is surprisingly fertile.”

Katara kept him talking about the Kaen he had known a hundred years ago, and he seemed to have a much more optimistic outlook on the situation by the time they landed, truly believing that he could help these people get back to where they had been the last time he had been there.

Aang hopped off Appa, and caught Katara when she jumped off as well, giving her a kiss. She gave him a smile as they pulled away and he set her on her feet.

“Do you want me to come?” She asked.

He shrugged. “You don’t have to. This will mostly be me laying out plans to get them back to the businesses they had over a hundred years ago.” He nudged her gently with his shoulder and gave her a cheeky smile. “That might be harder for you, since you weren’t there.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled back at him as she hip checked him in reply. “Not all of us can come and go by iceberg.”

He was still smiling at her when he leaned down to kiss her again, gently cupping her face and anchoring them together. “Go see what you can find out about their hospitals. I’ll come find you after, okay?”

She nodded. “If I’m not at the hospitals, I’ll be back here with Appa.”

“Sounds good.” Aang said, leaning down to kiss her once more. “Good luck.”

She nudged his forehead gently with hers. “You too.” She entwined their fingers, bringing his hand up to her lips and placing a gentle kiss there. “You’ll be able to do it. I believe in you.”

His lips pressed against her forehead. “That’s all I’ll ever need.”

They broke apart, Aang turning back to Appa to dig out his ambassadorial robes, and Katara making her way into the small city. She knew if they had been mostly sending soldiers off to war, there would be a lot of wounded people who had come back who would need her help. She tried not to think about the thousands who hadn’t.

* * *

Katara was finishing up in the last ward of the hospital. She had used her healing abilities on countless men and women, but there were still some that she hadn’t been able to help. Those who had lost arms or legs or both, and all she could offer was some quick pain relief and advice for their nurses and doctors. Despite all that, she felt optimistic, really feeling like she was making a difference in these people’s lives. In a few cases, she was the reason they would be going home to their families, and nothing could top that feeling for her. She finished her patient, a woman who had taken a stone bullet to the thigh. The doctor’s had been prepping to amputate it, as there was not much they could do to fix the nerve and bone damage. The relief in the woman’s eyes when she felt the pain lessen in her leg for the first time in over a year was the reason Katara did what she did. She gave the woman instructions to go easy on it for a few weeks, but she would be able to do everything she had been able to do before she’d been injured. As she exited the room, she saw Aang lingering in the hallway, seemingly just trying to stay out of the way of the bustling doctors and nurses.

“Aang.” She got his attention, giving him a smile as she came up, leaning up on her toes to kiss him. He’d passed her in height six or so months ago, and although it had vaguely annoyed her at first she now found herself liking it, if only because he could reach things Sokka put up high to annoy her. “How’d it go?”

He gave her a weary smile. “It went nowhere at first, but after a few hours, I finally broke through that no matter what happened here, the war was over, and they could either begin rebuilding with the rest of us or slowly sink into squalor. We got a rough plan to rebuild their economy, and we’ll finalize it tomorrow. Zuko will take over after that. Getting them the start-up funds and equipment is his area.”

She had leaned over while he had been talking to gather her things into the small bag she carried, but gave him a smile as she straightened. “That’s great! I’m proud of you.” She pushed herself up to quickly kiss his cheek, landing on her feet before he’d even registered her movement. “I’m done here for the day. Want to go back to Appa and cook some food?”

His face broke out into a wide smile. “Actually, one of the council members told me this one restaurant that was here the last time I was here is still open. It’s one of only a dozen or so business that didn’t close down when the payments from the soldiers started coming in. It’s still operated by the same family and everything. The food was amazing and-“

“Aang.” Katara laughed at him. “We can go, you don’t have to sell me on it.”  
  


He gave her a wide smile, leaning down to press a solid kiss on her mouth. When they separated, he grabbed her hand and led the way.

_Bold was the waitress on our three year-trip getting lunch down by the lakes. She said I looked like an American singer._

She huffed, tossing her shoes to the side when they entered the small house in Ba Sing Se that they had stayed in for the past three years. Aang followed her, not sure how to help the situation.

“Katara, she was just a teenager.” He offered, not sure what else to say.

She whirled on him, her eyes narrowed. “Need I remind you that so are you?”

Aang opened his mouth to reply, but shut it. She was right, he was still only 16, but then again, she was only 18. “So are you?” He tried, shrinking back preemptively.

Her eyes narrowed further, and she looked as if she was about to retort when she stopped herself. “I wouldn’t have done what she did at her age.”

Aang pulled his mouth to one side. “You don’t even know how old she was.”  
  


Katara threw her hands up. “Younger than me!” She turned, resuming her huffing as she stripped out of their day robes, getting ready to meet their friends for the three-year anniversary of the end of the war.

“You don’t know-“ Aang started, but the look she gave him over her shoulder threw enough daggers that he knew to shut up. He decided to change tactics, thinking the route he was on now would only land him in hot water with his girlfriend. He came up behind her, rubbing her shoulders. “You know I don’t see anybody but you.” He whispered to her, leaning down to kiss her shoulder.

She sighed as she stopped her fumbling and leaned back against him. “I know that.” She said, all the venom from earlier gone. “It’s just that she was so _bold._ I was sitting right there and she reached out and stroked your arrows! Like I didn’t exist.”

Aang shivered slightly at the memory. “I know, it was weird, and I didn’t like it any more than you did. It made me feel gross, like I was property rather than a person.”

She shifted, her head propped up on his shoulder instead of under his chin. “And the only time she noticed me was to say I ‘looked like the girl from the Southern Water Tribe’.” Katara spat out.

Aang angled his neck to kiss her forehead, which was difficult in the position they were in. “She’s not here now, is she?” He said against her forehead. “It’s just you and me right now.”

_Time, mystical time, cutting me open then healing me fine, were there clues I didn’t see?_

For the first year he’d known Katara, it had been a back and forth in his mind. One moment he had convinced himself that she felt the same way he did, and the next he thought she never would in a million years. When he’d gathered up the courage to kiss her on the Day of Black Sun, she’d kissed him back. Just for a moment, but he’d felt it. It was that short kiss that gave him the courage he needed to fly into the heart of Capital City. It had also been a stab wound when they didn’t discuss it again 

Of course, the next time he’d kissed her had been a complete idiot move, a weird tension afflicting the two of them for days afterwards. If the first time had been a stab, this had been a long cut. It had hurt, the distance that she had suddenly put between them. He didn’t want to say anything, to _do_ anything that would drive her further away. As the days wore on, he resigned himself to just being her friend, and hoped that maybe one day they could be as close as they were before he had kissed her. As the day of Sozin’s comet drew nearer, he was faced with more pressing matters, and it got pushed to the back of his mind.

All until she had followed him out to the balcony of Iroh’s tea shop. He knew her hug would be the extent of it, and she would give him a smile before going inside. Except after the hug she didn’t move, and his brain couldn’t figure out what was happening until it was happening. Her lips were on his, her hand gently cradling his face to keep him there, and Aang could’ve died right there. All the pain and heartache of the past couple weeks didn’t matter, time and her kiss had healed him fine.

For weeks after, he didn’t know how to act, trying to figure out their new dynamic, trying to figure out if there had been clues he didn’t see that had led them to where they were now. Finally, after two months of dancing around each other, he’d asked, and she’d broken.

“I wasn’t confused. I just couldn’t stand the thought of being with you just to lose you. We were in the middle of a war, either of us could have died at any moment, and we both had bigger things to worry about it.” She had her knees under her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs, and she was refusing to meet his eyes.

Much as he hated to admit it, he understood. “I didn’t have the best timing.” He laughed awkwardly.

She did look at him then, eyeing him before a smile took over her face, and she rolled her beautiful ocean blue eyes. “No.” She laughed. “You didn’t.”

_And isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?_

“Sokka!” Katara said as she hit her head repeatedly on the table. “I cannot have this same discussion every year!”

Aang smiled at the two of them, Katara leaning her head on her arms on the table, and Sokka giving a shit-eating grin to the top of her head.

“I’m just sayin’! No Sokka,” He paused and pointed at himself. “no Aang,” He pointed at Aang. “No nothing because Ozai would have burned it up.” He motioned wildly about the Jasmine Dragon.

Zuko, who had his head in his hands similar to Katara, groaned. “That’s it. I’m going to start coming to these things drunk. It’s the only way to deal with eight hours of _that”_ he motioned at Sokka “every year.”

Sokka looked wounded. “You hurt my pride sir!” He stood up dramatically.

Zuko scrubbed his face. “Sokka-“

“HURT. MY. PRIDE.” Sokka interrupted, before twirling on his toes and marching away.

The Fire Lord let out a long groan before getting up to follow him. When the two were gone, Katara propped her head up, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

Aang smile at her, and leaned over to gather her against his side. “He goes about it in a very dramatic and roundabout way, but it’s still pretty.”  
  
She let her hands fall from her forehead and looked up at him curiously. He leant down to kiss her lips. “It’s just so pretty to think that there was some invisible string of fate tying you to me.”

Her words from two years ago dawned on her, and a blush crept up her neck and across her cheeks. He smirked at her before leaning down once again to kiss it away.

_A string that pulled me out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar, something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire._

The only experience in relationships Katara had before Aang was Jet. She’d admitted to Aang a long time ago that she had kissed him, just once, and it was more of an awkward peck than a proper kiss. The next day, he had attempted to flood an entire village, and the ensuing fight with him had actually brought Aang and Katara closer, while the barbed wire Jet had around himself to protect him driving her permanently and irreparably away.

_Chains around my demons._

He still had nightmares three years later. Of him killing Ozai, of Ozai killing him, or worse yet, one of his friends. Katara had to use trial and error for a few years to figure out how to help him, a wound still afflicting him that she couldn’t see. She finally figured out to just hold him, anchoring him down to her, to reality. Every time he would wake from them, she would be there, and he would wrap himself around her, whispering vows of never letting go. That was perfectly fine with Katara, as she never wanted him to.

“We all fight our demons.” Sokka had said when she mentioned it to him once. He looked at her, a pride in his eyes that she didn’t see often. “You help chain his down.”

_Wool to brave the seasons._

Times were tough sometimes. A problem would arise that should only take a day or two could take weeks, even months. People were scared, not sure if or for how long this fragile peace would last, and it didn’t take much to set them off. Katara and Aang found comfort in each other during these times, huddling together to brave the seasons, and always coming out on the other side stronger.

_One single thread of gold tied me to you._

Katara thought she would pass out. She hadn’t breathed since Aang had pulled the long necklace out of his pocket. She finally remembered how to breathe, and took a deep inhale. “Yes.” She breathed, and Aang’s worried face split into a huge smile. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Aang was smiling like a fool, but pulled her into his body to plant a kiss on her, both letting their salty tears of joy mix into the kiss. They pulled apart for just a moment, letting Aang slip the long necklace over her head, settling it around her neck. “I made it long, so you could wear both.” He tapped the pendant of her mothers, and she let out a watery laugh before fisting her hands in his tunic and pulling him back to her, kissing him fiercely, until neither could remember anything but the feeling of the other’s lips.

Later, when they were lying in bed together, Katara was playing with the pendant on her new necklace, and Aang lying there, enjoying just watching her. She looked up, and shifted closer to him, kissing him soundly.

“What was that for?” He smirked at her, but holding her tight enough that she couldn’t get away.

He could faintly see the blush on her cheeks, and she looked down, running her fingers over the pendant once more. “Gran-Gran used to tell me about the red lines of fate, and how they tie together everyone in the world.” She looked back up at him, ice blue eyes almost luminous in the dim moonlight. “Out of all those red lines of fate, one single thread of gold tied me to you.”

Her words sounded ridiculous, she knew. But she meant them, ridiculous or not. Aang smiled at her, and she could almost _feel_ her thread of gold pulling them together, right before his lips crashed into hers.

_Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart, now I send their babies presents._

Katara hadn’t known how much of a vengeful person she had been before she met Aang, but she came to recognize it as one of her flaws, especially when standing next to him, who saw the good and worth in everyone. However, she couldn’t be bothered to consider keeping it in check as she reread the letter from Governor Shao.

“Is he serious?” She whipped her head up to look at Aang, who was standing in front of her.

He shrugged. “I’m pretty sure he is.”

“I told him if he ever pulled you away for something that was not an actual emergency again I would cut him down with a steel axe.” She muttered, throwing the message down.

Aang sighed, coming up to pull her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin. “I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Of course I don’t _want_ you to go!” She cried. “We’re getting married in less than a week and he wants you to come up to approve a new _hydroponics_ plan? For Spirits sake, they don’t need you for that!”

“I know, but they feel better if I am there.” He pulled back just enough to see her face, brushing stray hairs from her braid away. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t disappeared for a hundred years, people wouldn’t feel this scared about rebuilding the world.” He scoffed. “Hell, if I hadn’t disappeared at all I wouldn’t have to deal with rebuilding a world at all.”

She sighed, feeling all her anger rush out of her body. “Go.” She said quietly.

“What?” He looked down at her.

She stepped out of his arms. “Go. Go help them approve their hydroponics plan, and we’ll get married when you get back.”

“Katara, I-“  
  
“No.” She cut him off. She reached up, giving him a gentle kiss. “I hate that you feel like you owe this debt to the world. If I had one wish, it would be to take it away. But it’s part of you, part of who you are. If you feel like you need to be there, if only to be nice and to make them feel better, then you should go.”

“Are you-“

“I’ll even send a present, okay?” She cut him off again. “I can bend some nutrient rich water into a stockpot that can help them get started on it.”

He looked at her, a strange mix of pride and apology on his face. His hands came up to cup her face, pulling her up to him, and kissing her fiercely. “I’ll be as quick as I can.” He whispered when they pulled away.

Katara nodded at him. “You better.” She nudged him slightly, a smile on her face.

He returned it, kissing her one last time before going to their bedroom to begin packing.

She laughed at herself, heading outside to work on her water present. If it weren’t for Aang teaching her to be more patient with others, she really would have cut him down with a steel axe, now sending him a present to get started on a project instead. They’d known each other six years, but it still amazed her how he could change her for the better.

_Gold was the color of the leaves when I showed you around centennial park._

When Aang returned, the leaves around the Southern Air Temple had begun to turn gold. There were leaves all over the temple, but their small group of friends and family didn’t seem to mind, and Aang thought that she looked positively _ethereal_ as she walked towards him. The golden backdrop highlighted her dark skin and blue wedding dress, and Aang knew that this would be a sight he would remember for the rest of his life.

_Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven._

Their journey together had not been easy. They met in the middle of a war, and before she knew what was happening, it was up to her, a band of teenagers, and an Avatar who had only just turned thirteen to stop it. She had found out the hard way war literally was hell.

She looked at Aang, standing next to her while Iroh officiated their wedding. Hell was their journey, but it had brought her to heaven.

_Time, wonderous time, gave me the blues then purple pink skies._

If you had asked twelve year old Aang what he thought eighteen year old Aang would be doing, marrying Katara would not have even crossed his mind. At the time, he’d been so weighted down, unsure of her feelings, unsure if he could do all that was being asked of him, unsure if he’d even been able to try. It had been a dark time, dark blue, almost black as far as Aang could see. But then her feelings for him were reciprocated, he had done all that was asked of him, and he’d done it while staying true to himself and his teaching, which was more than what they had asked him to try. Suddenly, when Aang looked up, it wasn’t the deep oppressive blue, but the purple/pink skies that reminded him of Ba Sing Se at sunset.

He glanced over at Katara, a glowing vision that he wished he could freeze forever. Time had been what they needed, and wonderous time had deposited them to where they were now, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

_And it’s cool, baby with me. And isn’t it just so pretty to think. All along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?_

Iroh finished speaking, and they turned to face each other. They bowed at each other simultaneously, and just like that, they were husband and wife. He grabbed her hand as they turned to walk down the same aisle that had taken her to him. He lifted their hands up as they passed the rows of their friends and family, brushing a kiss against her knuckles, and leaning down close to her ear.

“It was never dumb.”

At her confused glance, he continued. “It was never dumb, what you told me that first year In Ba Sing Se. And it’s cool, with me at least. It is pretty to think that there was some invisible string tying you to me.”


End file.
